Violence against returning Japanese Americans and a proposed WRA budget cut

Vol. 21, No. 13, September 29, 1945. 8 pages. View this issue

Returning Japanese Americans faced threats and violence in California, and the paper reported it closely. Stories covered the burning of the Sakamoto family home near Loomis, shots fired into homes near Centerville, a flare thrown at a Buddhist church hostel in Watsonville, and rumors of a new Klan-style group in the San Joaquin Valley. Lt. Col. Wallace H. Moore protested the Sakamoto fire. A House committee also recommended cutting $5,000,000 from the War Relocation Authority budget, and Director Dillon Myer testified about who was expected to come back to the West Coast. An editorial, “Men on White Horses,” took up the terror campaign.

Other items cover the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, including a Fifth Army plaque for its Service Company and Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark’s letter to a Monte Carlo host. Les Finnegan wrote about Nisei linguists in the Pacific. Larry Tajiri looked at the economic outlook for Nisei, and Jobo Nakamura contributed a short story set in Chicago. This issue ran eight pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• House Appropriations Group Seeks to Slash Five Millions from Present WRA Budget, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Appropriations Committee recommended cutting $5,000,000 from WRA funds for resettling evacuees. WRA Director Dillon Myer testified that only about half of the 110,000 evacuees would return to the West Coast, and that resettlement elsewhere was well accepted.
• Story of New ‘KKK’ Group Scares Visalia, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Visalia Times-Delta reported rumors of a new Ku Klux Klan-style group planning to ride white horses against Japanese Americans in the San Joaquin Valley. Officials and a former WRA head said they had heard nothing confirming the reports.

Military & Veterans

• Hawaiian Sergeant Killed in Crash, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. Haruyuki Ikemoto of Hamakuapoko, Maui, was killed in a plane crash on Okinawa on Aug. 13, according to War Department information received by his mother. The brief notes the family’s loss.
• Amazing Courage, Ingenuity of Japanese Americans Hailed by U.S. Army Commanders, by Les Finnegan, page 1. Army commanders in the Pacific credited Nisei linguists with saving many American lives through interrogation, translation, and combat heroism. The 27th Division praised its Nisei, several of whom earned medals for bravery on Saipan and Okinawa.
• California Soldier Killed in Truck Accident in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Daniel Y. Tsukamoto, 23, son of a Los Angeles mother, was killed in a truck accident in Italy. He had been a former Roosevelt High School and Los Angeles City College student.
• Major Colyer Will Command Second Battalion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Major William N. Colyer was named commander of the Second Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, replacing Major Robert A. Gopel. Colyer had served with the unit since its training days at Camp Shelby.
• Unit of 442nd Given Plaque by Fifth Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Service Company of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team received the Meritorious Service Unit Plaque from the Fifth Army. It is the first such award to a 442nd organization and lets service personnel wear a gold laurel wreath.
• Nisei Combat Engineers Win Commendation from Fifth Army, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 232nd Combat Engineer Company, made up entirely of Japanese American personnel, received a Fifth Army Commendation for meritorious service. The unit served in every campaign with the 442nd Combat Team.
• Nisei Lieutenant Returns Home After Service in Pacific, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Lt. Roy Uyehata of Gilroy, California, returned after 34 months in the Pacific, where he served as an interpreter and interrogated Japanese prisoners. He wears the Bronze Star and plans to resume beet farming.
• Report Nisei Saved Thousands of GI Lives in Pacific War, by Les Finnegan, page 2. Continued NANA dispatch describes Nisei heroism on Saipan and Okinawa, including a sergeant who persuaded Japanese soldiers to surrender and another who saved nine trapped natives. Several were awarded Silver and Distinguished Service Crosses.
• Nisei War Hero Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. John Y. Tanaka of Denver, killed in action in France, was posthumously awarded a Silver Star for charging enemy fire to protect his comrades. His father was notified of the award.
• Gen. Clark’s Tribute to Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark wrote to Mrs. Laura Bedarida of Monte Carlo praising the men of the 442nd as among the most gallant American troops. Mrs. Bedarida had hosted many Nisei soldiers at her home.
• Nisei Veteran Now Convalescing at Army Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Pvt. Shintani of Boise, Idaho, a 442nd veteran, is recovering at McCaw General Hospital after an injury in Italy. He earned the Bronze Star for extinguishing an ammunition dump fire under enemy shelling.

Incarceration & Redress

• Anti-Nisei Terror Likened to Belsen Act by Officer, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lt. Col. Wallace H. Moore, an Army intelligence officer, protested the burning of the Sakamoto family home near Loomis, California. He warned that treating loyal Japanese Americans this way was a first step toward an American Belsen.
• Attempted Murder, Assault Charges Face Terrorists in Alameda County Shooting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Robert Hailey and Charles Custom were charged with attempted murder and assault after shots were fired into the homes of returned Japanese Americans near Centerville, California. Hailey reportedly said he wanted to kill the Japanese.
• Placer County Official Reports Threats Against Nisei Homes, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Loomis Fire Chief Garrett Doty reported threats that returning evacuees’ homes would be burned, after the Sakamoto home was destroyed by a suspected arson fire. The Sakamotos had sons decorated for bravery in the Army.
• Placer County Suspects Face Federal Trial, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Brothers James Edward Watson and Claude Watson were set for federal trial on charges of illegal possession of dynamite and conspiracy in an attempted bombing of a Japanese American-owned property near Auburn. The attacks were among the first terrorist acts against returning evacuees.
• Tule Lake Segregation Center Faces Possible Closure If Budget Is Reduced, by Michie, page 3. A proposed WRA budget cut could force the agency to give up Tule Lake, which holds segregated Japanese aliens and Nisei. The Justice Department may deport many detainees to Japan.
• California Equalization Board Charged With Bias Against Returned Evacuee Applicants, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Optometrist Kenzo Sugino filed a petition seeking a court order forcing the State Board of Equalization to issue him a sales tax permit. He alleged the board discriminated against persons of Japanese ancestry out of race prejudice.
• Los Angeles County Officials Ask for Retention of Centers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors asked the federal government to taper off releases from relocation centers, citing inadequate housing for an expected 30,000 returning evacuees. Reports of suicides among evacuees fearing they could not find housing were also cited.
• Treatment of Nisei Has Had ‘Symbolic Significance’ as Test of Democracy, Declares Myer, by Dillon S. Myer, page 5. WRA Director Dillon Myer writes in Common Ground that the treatment of Japanese Americans has been a symbolic test of democracy. He describes the resettlement difficulties and the terrorist campaign on the West Coast, and credits Nisei soldiers with breaking through prejudice.

Community

• Flare Thrown at Hostel in Watsonville, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A flare was thrown toward the Buddhist church in Watsonville, California, which was serving as a temporary hostel for returned evacuees. Police and the district attorney warned that violence against Japanese Americans would be prosecuted.
• Farmers in New Mexico Act to Prevent Sales to Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Farmers in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, scheduled a meeting to organize against Japanese American settlement in the Mesilla Valley. Petitions pledged signers not to sell land to Japanese Americans.
• Pacific Veteran Addresses Rotary, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fred Odanaka, a Pacific war veteran, spoke to the Rotary Club of Kankakee, Illinois. His audience included state officials.
• Protesting Workers Return to Work as Walkout Against Employment of Nisei Fails, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Most of the 35 civilian railroad workers at the Lathrop depot who quit to protest the hiring of Nisei James Tsujimoto returned to work. Records showed Tsujimoto had five years of prior railroad experience.
• Police Chief Says Hoodlums Behind Attack, by P.C. Staff, page 3. After attacks on the Buddhist church hostel in San Francisco, Police Chief Dullea blamed hoodlums and promised to apprehend the criminals. Community leaders called the incident a serious violation of democratic rights.
• San Joaquin Valley Chamber Urges Deportation of Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce adopted a resolution urging deportation of Japanese aliens and disloyal persons, and a bar on Japanese immigration. It also called for strong Pacific bases and prosecution of war criminals.
• Pacific Veteran Teaches ASTP at Minnesota U, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Former Pacific war veteran Tadashi Hamane became an instructor at the University of Minnesota ASTP school. He was formerly of Gila River and Pasadena.
• Monte Carlo Family Offered Hospitality to Nisei Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Mrs. Laura Bedarida, known as Mama to many 442nd soldiers, shared General Clark’s letter praising the regiment. She said she welcomed American soldiers into her home as a way of showing gratitude.
• Topaz Group Votes to Give Books to Millard School, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Topaz Community Council voted to donate 5,000 library books to the Millard County school district. The books had been donated by groups and individuals in California.
• Hostel in Oakland Holds Open House for Evacuee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Congregational hostel in Oakland held an open house for returning evacuees with speeches by local clergy and community leaders. Organizers aimed to welcome the returnees to the community.
• Evacuees Find Work, Housing in New Jersey, by P.C. Staff, page 7. About 1,526 evacuees now live and work at Seabrook Farms in New Jersey, one of the largest vegetable processing centers. Workers are unionized and the local community has shown little hostility.
• California Nurserymen Adopt Report Urging Cutting of Prices, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The California Association of Nurserymen adopted a report urging price cuts to meet expected competition from returning Japanese American nurserymen. Before evacuation, Japanese American nurseries were a major part of California floriculture.
• Washington Council Elects New Members, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Nisei Council of Washington elected six new members at its fall picnic-social attended by about 250 people. The outgoing cabinet included chairman Ray Hashitani.
• Evacuee Family Prizes Letter From War Secretary Stimson, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Yoshitaro Tanaka family of Santa Ana, California, treasures a letter from former Secretary of War Henry Stimson praising their four sons in service. Several sons served with the 100th Battalion and in intelligence.

Commentary

• Men on White Horses, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial condemns the campaign of terror against returning evacuees, including night-riding, arson, and bombing attempts. It urges law enforcement and San Joaquin Valley residents to repudiate the rumored new KKK-style group.
• Navy’s Attitude, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial notes Navy language schools benefited from Japanese-language intelligence, yet the Navy continued to exclude Japanese Americans and did not credit the Nisei and Issei who taught the language. It argues the exclusion reflects narrow thinking.
• On the Picket Line, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Navy veteran Edward Bykowski picketed Senator Theodore Bilbo over hate letters, and was joined by offers of support from Japanese Americans and others. The editorial argues racism against one group threatens all Americans.
• Problems Ahead for Nisei, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The column examines the postwar economic dependence of evacuees on government aid and the uncertainty of industrial employment after war production ends. It argues that federal assistance will remain necessary during readjustment.
• Yuri Would Understand: Sunday Evening in Chicago, by Jobo Nakamura, page 4. A young Nisei named Masao, lodging in a crowded Chicago rooming house, feels alienated from his poker-playing roommates and from the Issei values of his father. He walks out seeking the company of a friend who he believes would understand him.
• Marine Officer Angered by Reports of Anti-Nisei Acts, by John Kitasako, page 5. A Marine intelligence officer who served in the Pacific says he was angered by anti-Nisei persecution at home and plans to write articles defending Japanese Americans. He reports that Japanese civilians he encountered were frightened rather than treacherous.

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